(April 27, 2011) The Sai Gon Travel Service Company (Saigontourist) welcomed 2,000 tourists and crew sailing aboard the five-star cruise liner Costa Classica, which docked at the Lotus Port in Ho Chi Minh City on April 26. The visitors, most from Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and Germany, will have a five-day Vietnam tour.

(April 26, 2011) The National Tuong (classic drama) Festival 2011 kicks off on April 25 in the city of Quy Nhon and runs until April 30. Nine tuong plays, with topics ranging from history to modern folk, will be performed by seven top tuong companies, including the Vietnam Tuong Theatre, the Hue Royal Tuong Troupe and the Dao Tan Tuong Troupe.

(April 25, 2011) The Vietnamese people, country, and cuisine, as well as handicrafts, the country’s traditional long dress (Ao dai) and musical instruments were introduced at a Vietnamese cultural festival in Beijing, China on April 23.

(April 25, 2011) The Vietnamese contemporary lacquer painting exhibition 2011 opened on April 22 in Beijing, China. It contributed to promoting cultural exchange and cooperation in all fields, and fostering the comprehensive strategic cooperation partnership between the two countries over recent times.

(April 22, 2011) The Haiphong Tourism Festival 2011 will be held at Do Son Tourist Site from April 30 to May 2 with diverse activities to promote the city’s tourism and to move toward National Tourism Year 2013 in the northern port city.

(April 21, 2011) Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan has allowed the northern province of Quang Ninh and the southcentral province of Khanh Hoa to set off fireworks on the occasion of their festivals this year.

(April 20, 2011) The Italian Embassy in Hanoi will launch a programme to promote the culture and lifestyle of the Mediterranean country in Vietnam. The programme will include 14 events during 2011 covering music, dance, architecture, literature and cinema.